U.S. patent number 4,667,362 [Application Number 06/752,945] was granted by the patent office on 1987-05-26 for scraper for carpet seaming irons.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Carl S. Mattingly, Presentation Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carl S. Mattingly.
United States Patent |
4,667,362 |
Mattingly |
May 26, 1987 |
Scraper for carpet seaming irons
Abstract
A scraper is described for removing carpet seaming glue and
other debris baked and/or caked in the grooves of carpet seaming
irons. The scraper has a serrated scraping edge configured to mate
with and scrape a grooved bottom surface of a carpet seaming iron
shoe.
Inventors: |
Mattingly; Carl S. (Clyde,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Presentation Systems, Inc. (San
Francisco, CA)
Mattingly; Carl S. (San Francisco, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25028535 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/752,945 |
Filed: |
July 8, 1985 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/236.08;
15/245.1; 30/169 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
13/022 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
13/022 (20060101); A47L 13/02 (20060101); A47L
025/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/236R,14S,105,111
;30/169,172 ;219/245 ;38/69,74,88,93,94,141 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Roberts; Edward L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Newhouse; David E.
Claims
I claim:
1. In combination with a carpet seaming iron having a bottom
surface defined by a plurality of substantially identical, parallel
grooves, a scraper for removing glue and debris baked in the
plurality of parallel grooves of its bottom surface comprising in
combination,
a blade having a serrated edge, each serration having a
configuration substantially similar to, and slightly smaller than
the cross-sectional configuration of a groove, the serrations being
spaced for insertion into the parallel grooves forming the bottom
surface of the carpet seaming iron, whereby, each serration scrapes
glue and debris from a particular groove as the blade, with its
serrated edge oriented perpendicularly relative to the grooves, is
drawn across the bottom surface of the iron in a direction parallel
to the grooves,
a tang integral with the blade extending perpendicularly with
respect to the serrated edge,
a handle composed of a thermally insulative material secured to the
tang.
2. The scraper of claim 1 wherein the tang and handle are oriented
at an angle relative to the blade.
3. The scraper of claim 2 wherein the blade and the tang are formed
from a planar piece of metal which is bent to form a junction
between the blade and tang, the tang narrowing from a width
equaling that of the blade to a width equaling that of the handle,
the handle having a shape configured to be held by a human
hand.
4. The scraper of claim 1 wherein the blade curves around an axis
perpendicular to the handle.
5. A scraper for removing glue and debris caked and/or baked onto a
bottom heating surface of a carpet seaming iron having a plurality
of parallel grooves comprising,
a blade having a serrated edge with teeth configured and spaced for
scraping baked glue and debris from the grooves in the bottom
heating surface of the iron as the blade, with its serrated edge
oriented perpendicularly with respect to the grooves, is drawn
across the bottom surface of the iron in a direction parallel to
that of the grooves,
a handle secured to the blade oriented perpendicularly with respect
to the serrated edge.
6. The scraper of claim 1, 2, or 5 wherein the bottom of the carpet
seaming iron includes a deep central groove and the serrated edge
of the blade includes a long central tooth dimensioned for scraping
baked glue and debris from the deep central groove.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a scraper for removing materials adhering
to the bottom grooved surface of a carpet seaming iron.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpet installers frequently are required to secure or seam two
pieces of carpet together with a carpet seaming iron and carpet
seaming tape.
Carpet seaming tape typically includes a fabric backing presenting
a surface with carpet seaming glue The carpet seaming glue is
normally solid at room temperature but melts when heated. The tape
is positioned beneath the junction between the carpet pieces.
The carpet seaming iron positioned between the pieces of carpet
melts the glue on the tape. Typically, such irons include a shoe,
an electrical heating element and a handle extending upwardly from
the shoe to allow the iron to be moved along the junction between
the two pieces of carpet. The carpet seaming iron is moved along
the junction between the two pieces of carpet for melting the glue
on the surface of the carpet seaming tape. The respective edges of
the carpet pieces being joined flow over the top of the shoe,
around the handle of the iron and contact the melted glue on the
surface of the tape behind the iron as it moves along the junction.
The glue then cools and hardens securing the edges of the carpet
together.
The integrity of the seam between the respective pieces of carpet
depends on the quantity of glue at the junction. To locate the
melted glue, the bottom surface of the carpet seaming iron shoe
typically has a plurality of grooves which collect and distribute
the melted glue in longitudinal beads aligned with the junction
between the two pieces of carpet.
Carpet seaming irons are frequently left on either because of a
problem or inattention, and glue and other debris gradually become
caked and/or baked onto the bottom surface of the shoe filling and
clogging the grooves causing the glue, as it is melted by the iron,
to be pushed out around the edges of the shoe rather than collected
and distributed in longitudinal beads aligned adjacent to the
junction between the pieces of carpet. The resulting seam, under
such circumstances is low quality.
Accordingly, carpet installers typically must remove any debris and
glue baked onto the bottom of their the irons clogging the grooves
before seaming two pieces of carpet together. Heads of nails, screw
drivers, sticks, wire brushes or any thing else that is handy are
typically used to remove the cake of glue and debris baked into the
grooves on the bottom surface of the carpet iron shoe.
Carpet installers both need and deserve a tool specifically
designed for removing the glue, debris and gunk that becomes baked
onto the bottom surfaces of their trusty carpet seaming irons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a scraper presenting a serrated scraping edge
configured to mate with and scrape a grooved bottom surface of a
carpet seaming iron shoe. The blade presenting the serrated edge is
oriented angularly with respect to a handle for the scraper
enabling the scraper to be drawn along the grooved bottom of the
carpet seaming iron shoe when the shoe is hot.
A particular embodiment of the invented scraper contemplates a long
central tooth shaped to be received in and to scrape the central
deep longitudinal groove on the bottom of many typical carpet
seaming iron shoes.
Other features, aspects, advantages and objects presented and
accomplished by the invented scraper for removing the cake of glue
and debris baked into the grooves of a typical carpet seaming iron
shoe will become apparent and/or be more fully described and
understood with reference to the following description and detailed
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1, is a perspective view of an embodiment of the scraper
having a central elongated tooth adapted to be received within and
to scrape a deep central groove cut into the bottom surface of a
carpet iron shoe.
FIG. 2, is a perspective view of the invented scraper presenting a
rippled scraping edge conforming to the ripples or corrugations on
a bottom surface of another embodiment of a carpet seaming iron
shoe.
FIG. 3, is a cross sectional illustration showing the angular
relationship between the scraping edge, and the handle of the
scraper and the bottom surface of a carpet seaming iron.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the invented scraper 11 includes a
handle 12 riveted to a tang 13 which broadens integrally into a
blade 14. The blade is bent at an obtuse angle 15 relative to the
tang 13 and presents a serrated or toothed edge 16.
As illustrated, the scraper blade is planar. However, a curved
blade 14 would also serve so long as the serrated or toothed edge
can be presented in approximately a perpendicular relationship to
the grooved or channeled bottom surface 17 of a carpet iron shoe
18.
The scraper shown in FIG. 1 includes a large central tooth 19
adapted to be received in a deep central groove 21 cut into the
bottom surface 17 of the carpet seaming iron shoe 18. Many carpet
seaming irons have such deep central grooves to locate a voluminous
bead of melted glue at the junction between pieces of carpet being
joined. Such carpet seaming irons also typically include grooves
oriented angularly with respect to the central deep groove for
directing the melted glue towards the central deep groove as the
carpet seaming iron moves along the carpet seaming tape between the
adjacent pieces of carpet. (FIG. 1)
Referring now to FIG. 3, the blade 14 of the scraper 11, is
oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis
of the scraper. In particular, the blade 14 presenting the toothed
serrations 16 should be angled obtusely relative to the axis of the
handle 12 of the scraper 11 so that the installer does not burn his
hand as he pulls the scraper along the bottom surface 17 of the
carpet seaming iron shoe 18. Such an angular relationship can be
accomplished by smoothly bending a planar piece of metal around a
radius to present a blade 14 with a serrated or toothed edge 16.
The handle 12 should also be composed of a thermally insulative
material such as wood.
The angle of the blade to the axis of the scraper also makes it
easier for the installer to pull the scraper along the the grooved
bottom surface 17 of the shoe 18. In particular, the angular
relationship between the plane of the blade 14 and the longitudinal
axis of the scraper distributes the force applied through the
handle of the scraper into two directions, perpendicular and
parallel to the bottom surface of the shoe. Accordingly, the
serrated or toothed edge 16, of the blade 14 will tend to gouge
into the cake of glue and other debris deposited or baked in the
grooves 23 on the bottom surface of the shoe 18 as the scraper is
pulled or along the surface.
The invented scraper for cleaning glue, debris and other types of
gunk caked and/or baked onto a grooved bottom surface of a carpet
seaming iron has been described in context of a preferred and/or
representative embodiment. Many modifications and variations can be
made to the invented carpet seaming iron scraper which, while not
described herein, fall within the spirit and scope of the invention
as described in the appended claims.
* * * * *